Denzel Is The Equalizer

This was pure greatness. It has been a very long time since a good, quality action movie has surfaced. The Equalizer is a modern take on an old 80s TV show that I vaguely remember. Now, a 2014 blockbuster, I believe people will be talking about this one for a while.

In this version, Robert McCall is played by Denzel Washington. Robert is a man who lives a very secluded and simple life. He goes to work in the morning like everyone else and he goes home when his day is done. In between time he generally fills his time reading old great novels. He also keeps a tight schedule by timing himself on everything he does by using the timer on his wrist watch. Most of the time while he's home at night he can't seem to get to sleep, so, he visits his neighborhood diner where basically everyone there is friendly and pretty much a friend.

A pretty young girl named Teri frequents this diner on late nights the same as McCall. On occasion she will turn to him and make chit-chat or small talk. You can clearly see she is reaching out. And reaching out to McCall never comes across as difficult as you find that he is always willing to help people find a way through their struggles. Teri, who later on we find out her name is Alina, is a call girl who reluctantly works for the Russian mob.

One night McCall visits the diner to hear from the owner that Teri had been beaten by the mobsters she works for to the point where she ended up in ICU. We learn that her life is in jeopardy if she ever attempts to take her own life into her own hands. She is technically Russian mob property.

Once this is brought to McCall's attention he struggles between two decisions. Does he get involved and do something for Teri, or should he let it go? Of course, being the stand up man that he is he decides to do something for Teri.

McCall approaches the mobsters with an offer to let Teri go free and have her life back when they spit it back in his face. This is when McCall shows the audience what he's truly made of. Standing in a room surrounded by five Russian mobsters, McCall takes each one of these men down with precision in less than 20 seconds. This scene was very intense and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The following day the news is describing the hit as gangland style murders and assuming a rival gang were the aggressors. It looks as if McCall is home free.

This is when Teddy comes to town.

Teddy is one of the head Russian gangsters that comes to try and find out what took place in the room at the club where these five men were killed. Teddy can be quite charming if he wants to be, but for the most part he's a very scary guy. He goes around putting pressure on everyone to find out what exactly took place that night and during his investigation he discovers a pile of evidence that points directly to Robert McCall.

A lot of things start happening at this point and once McCall finds out he wasn't simply dealing with pimps, but a huge Russian crime syndicate, he reaches further down into his bag of tricks to ensure that he and all the people he cares about get out of the situation like champions.

The Equalizer never falls short. Every scene is well done and all the cast members noticeably put forth 100%. There is a lot of great scenery as the movie doesn't simply take place in one or two spots. Everything felt real and authentic as if the scenes were shot on actual locations opposed to a movie set somewhere. There isn't an over abundance of gunplay in this movie either. The action sequences are carried out gracefully and with a touch of class. Plus, there is wonderful balance of you working out what may have taken place with your own mind while still delivering exactly what you wish to see.

Watching Denzel Washington play such a cool character is nothing out of the ordinary, but when you get this level of coolness there really isn't a whole lot more you can ask for. The Equalizer is a lot of fun and very intense. It is filled with a myriad of enjoyable and memorable characters that help the movie shine from multiple angles. I, personally, would highly recommend going to see this in the theaters while you can. You want to experience the full effect that this movie can have on you. Make it an IMAX event if that is within your budget. I had a great time with this and I absolutely look forward to seeing Robert McCall in action again. Thank you Denzel Washington and Antoine Fuqua for delivering another winner. As my most anticipated movie for 2014 it definitely superseded my expectations.